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Cancer
Can hormone therapy cause muscle loss?
- By Marc Garnick, MD, Editor in Chief, HarvardProstateKnowledge.org
I am currently undergoing hormone therapy with leuprolide (Lupron) injections to shrink an enlarged prostate. I believe I’ve noticed some muscle loss. Is this possible?
Marc Garnick, M.D., Editor in Chief of Harvard Medical School’s Annual Report on Prostate Diseases, says:
Muscle loss (and an increase in body fat) is a common side effect of hormone therapy. Hormones tamp down the production of testosterone, a male hormone that plays a role in developing and maintaining muscle mass. (Hormone therapy can also lead to bone loss, so be sure your doctor is on the lookout for osteoporosis.) I recommend regular exercise to my patients, as it may help stave off muscle and bone loss and limit changes in body composition. One thing to look forward to: these side effects will gradually diminish when you stop hormone therapy.
SOURCE: Amory JK, Wang C, Swerdloff RS, et al. The effect of 5-Alpha-Reductase Inhibition with Dutasteride and Finasteride on Semen Parameters and Serum Hormone in Healthy Men. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 2007;92:1659–65. PMID: 17299062.
Originally published April 2009; last reviewed March 22, 2011.
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
Comments
I started taking zoladex as part of my prostrate cancer therapy in 2015. I keep good health and I have now returned to the gym. After easing myself into training for 4 weeks I started doing some hard workouts (lifting weights to exhaustion). The following day I experience no muscle soreness which is an unexpected surprise. Is that the zoladex inhabiting muscle growth?
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